Love Conquers All
by Deutzy
Summary: Even destroying the One Ring is possible if you have the one you love most by your side... *SLASH* Frodo/Merry. Please R/R!
1. Spirit Of The Party

Love Conquers All

Chapter 1 – Spirit Of The Party

'Make a wish!' A voice from the crowd around the table called out. Merry looked up from the huge birthday cake in front of him, complete with 16 burning candles, and caught the eye of Frodo Baggins, one of his closest friends. He was grinning, and it was obvious that the command had come from him.

'All right, if you insist!' Merry said, blowing out the candles before closing his eyes and making his wish. Then he began to cut the cake, causing his friends to cheer loudly. _"The way to a hobbit's heart is through his stomach"_, so the saying went. 

'Three cheers for Merry Brandybuck!' Came the call from somewhere in the crowd. 'Hip hip…' 

'Hurray!' Everyone shouted. This happened three times, and then once more for luck. Merry found himself going bright red, and tried to concentrate on cutting the cake into equal slices. 

Today was Merry's 16th birthday, and his parents had allowed him to hold this party for all his friends and relatives. The older members of the guests were gathered in a large huddle quite a distance away from Merry and his friends, holding glasses and mugs of various alcoholic beverages, and talking and laughing cheerfully. This group was made up mostly of the parents of Merry's friends, and his older relatives. 

As Merry began to hand out the cake, he felt a slight tug on his shirtsleeve. He looked down to see his little cousin Pippin standing there, looking back up at him. At 8 years old, Pippin was by far the youngest guest there, maybe a little _too _young for such parties. 

'Hello Pip!' Merry said cheerfully. 

'What did you wish for, Merry?' Pippin asked curiously. 

'I can't tell you that!' 

'Why not?' 

'If you tell other people your wishes,' Merry began, sounding very serious, 'They won't come true.' 

'Really?' Pippin gasped, sounding utterly shocked. 

'Really.' Merry said as Pippin tried to stifle a huge yawn, which suddenly turned into a hiccup. Pippin giggled stupidly. 

'Whoops!' The young hobbit laughed, hiccupping again. 

'What have you been drinking, Pippin?' Merry asked, trying not to laugh. 

'The fizzy stuff!'

'The fizzy stuff.' Merry repeated. He knew that must mean the champagne. 'Who gave it to you?' 

'Frodo! He said it was a party so I could have whatever I wanted!' Pippin replied between hiccups.

'Did he?' Merry asked, picking up his cousin. Pippin nodded innocently as Merry carried him over to his mother, who was talking to Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's uncle. 

'I think it's getting a bit too late.' Merry said to Eglantine Took, Pippin's mother, handing Pippin over to her as he yawned again, then burst into a string of hiccups. 'And maybe a bit too much alcohol.' Merry added, before walking quickly away. He wasn't going to take the blame for getting Pippin drunk. 

His friends had dispersed now, and Merry spotted Frodo talking to Fredegar Bolger, another one of his other friends.

'Fro,' Merry said, coming up to Frodo. 'Can I have a word?' 

'Sure!' Frodo replied, allowing Merry to steer him away from Fredegar and the crowds of hobbits. 

'Why were you giving my 8 year old cousin champagne?' 

'It's a party! Let him have some fun!'

'For Valar's sake, Frodo, he's _eight _years old! He could have been very ill if he'd carried on drinking that much alcohol!' 

'Okay, okay, calm down Merry! It's no big deal!'

'_No big deal? _He's 8 years old Frodo, loads of alcohol could _kill _him! If he died, would it be a big deal?'

'You're over-reacting, Merry!' He had a few glasses, that's all. He's only slightly drunk, there's no harm done!' By now both voices were angry and raised. Bilbo, who had noticed his nephew and Merry arguing, came over to see what was going on.

'What's all this about, then?' He asked, coming in between Merry and Frodo before anything worse happened. 

'Merry's accusing me of trying to kill Pippin!' Frodo said maliciously. 'He thinks Pippin shouldn't have had those drinks.' 

'He shouldn't!' Merry stood up for himself.

'Now now, boys.' Bilbo said. 'Let's not argue. If you must know, Merry, I gave Frodo permission to give Pippin those drinks. At first he, like you, didn't think it a wise thing to do. If you want to blame someone, blame me, but as far as I'm concerned, I don't think it will do the little one any harm to have a bit of drink inside him.'

'Oh…' Merry said, his gaze directed to the grass under his feet. 'Sorry… I didn't realise…'

'Well, no harm done!' Bilbo said with a smile, and wandered off again. 

'Sorry, Frodo.' Merry said uneasily, still looking at his feet. 

'Don't worry about it, it's all just been a big misunderstanding.' Frodo said, putting one arm around Merry's shoulders. Merry shrugged away. 

'Merry?' Frodo asked, surprised by his friend's coldness. 'What's wrong?' 

'Nothing.' Merry snapped, walking away before Frodo had a chance to say anything else. Frodo followed Merry as he broke away from the party, left the field it was being held in, and stopped by a large tree in the next field. 

'Merry?' Frodo asked again, not giving in to his friend's silence. 'Please tell me… you've never kept anything from me before.'

'That's what you think.' Merry muttered, more to himself than Frodo. 

'Oh, please Merry. I don't know what's happened, but I want to help you!'

'I very much doubt you'll be able to do that.' Merry said bitterly. 

'Try me!'

'Fine!' Merry said, spinning around suddenly to face Frodo, took hold of his waist, and pulled him into a kiss.


	2. The Beginning Of Forever

Chapter 2 – The Beginning Of Forever 

Merry was surprised to find that Frodo didn't recoil from the kiss like he had expected. In actual fact, it was Merry who eventually broke the kiss. 'Frodo, I'm sorry, I… I didn't mean to… I shouldn't have…' Merry muttered, before turning his back and running. 

'Merry! Wait!' Frodo called back, but Merry didn't stop or even slow down. **'Merry!' **Frodo called again, this time louder. Merry continued to run. With a sigh Frodo began to run off after the younger hobbit, continuously calling for him to stop. Merry didn't stop, however, and Frodo continued to chase him. Merry finally came to stop at the riverbank, bent over double and gasping for breath. Frodo came to a stop at Merry's side, breathing heavily. He took hold of one of Merry's wrists to stop him scampering off again. 

'Stop running away.' Frodo said. 

'Why? Why should you even want to _know _me anymore?' Merry asked. 'We were best friends, and I've ruined that now!' 

'No Merry. You've ruined nothing, nothing at all!' Frodo said, taking hold of Merry's arms so that Merry was forced to look at Frodo's face. 'Why are you so sure I don't feel the same?' Frodo asked. 

'I… I never… do you?' Merry stuttered. 

Frodo didn't reply, but pulled Merry into a kiss. This time neither of the hobbits made any attempt to break away from each other. Before long they found themselves lying on the ground together, their kisses getting more and more passionate. 'Happy birthday, Merry…' Frodo whispered into his new lover's ear before proceeding to strip Merry down to the waist.

*** 

Bilbo was the only hobbit to notice Merry run from the party, and Frodo following him. After a moment, Bilbo set out after them at a slower pace. He didn't want to pry on his nephew's private business, but then again he didn't want his nephew to get hurt; Merry seemed to be in a strange mood tonight. 

He had watched Frodo and Merry's first kiss from a distance, and had watched as Merry yet again tried to run from Frodo. He heard Frodo call after his friend, and then begin to pursue him across the fields. 

Yet again Bilbo followed at a distance; his curiosity had now taken hold of him. He knew how much Frodo lusted after Merry, and this could change the rest of his nephew's life. Frodo had never told him about his feelings for Merry, but you don't raise someone from such a young age and not learn to tell everything they're thinking and feeling from just watching them. Bilbo had often watched Frodo around Merry, and the signs were just too obvious to be misread. 

By the time Bilbo had reached the hill overlooking the riverbank, Frodo and Merry were halfway to the ground, their hands all over each other, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. Bilbo didn't want to stay and watch any longer, so he turned and headed back to the party. He was so happy for Frodo at that present moment, for Frodo, unlike him, was young with the rest of his life ahead of him, and now had someone to love and love him back, maybe for the rest of his life. Bilbo didn't think Frodo would be one of those hobbits that loved them and left them. No, Frodo and Merry would be together for a long time, if not until their dying days.


End file.
